The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland
Encyclopedia
The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland (originally titled, and sometimes referred to, as Elmo in Grouchland) is the second theatrical feature-length film starring the cast of the popular U.S. children's series Sesame Street
. Produced by Jim Henson Pictures
in association with the Children's Television Workshop
and released by Columbia Pictures
on October 1, 1999, the film co-stars Mandy Patinkin
and Vanessa L. Williams
. The film was shot in Wilmington, North Carolina
at Screen Gems
Studios.
and Bert, who keep appearing throughout the movie, welcoming the audience and announcing The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland, a movie about Elmo
and his beloved blue blanket. However at a minute, 45 seconds, the countdown from 10 to 1 appears with the viewers counting backwards. After counting backwards from ten with the help of the audience, the movie's logo appears.
Elmo is playing with his blanket in his house. Suddenly, after he bumps his blanket on a juice cup and after drying off his blanket at the Laundromat, Elmo sees Zoe
feeling sad because her father cannot take her to the zoo today, so he decides to make Zoe happy again by imitating certain zoo animals (a lion
, a monkey
, and a pig
). When Zoe decides to play with his blanket, Elmo refuses to share, resulting in a tug-of-war that has Elmo's blanket ripped. Elmo and Zoe have a brief falling out; however Telly
takes away the blanket while rollerskating out of control. The blanket lands in the hands of Oscar the Grouch
, who drops it in his trash can after sneezing on it. Elmo drops into the bottom of Oscar's trash can, where he finds the blanket nailed to a door. But they are both teleported to Grouchland, where a greedy man named Huxley (Mandy Patinkin
) steals anything he can grab – including Elmo's blanket. Elmo is determined to rejoin his blanket and begins a journey through Grouchland. He asks a kind girl named Grizzy to help in his quest, but she abandons him when she discovers that Huxley's house is on the top of the faraway Mount Pickanose.
Meanwhile, the Sesame Street residents notice Elmo's absence and go to Grouchland to find him, with help from Oscar. When Big Bird
suggests to seek assistance from a policeman, he arrests the entire group, informing them that it is against Grouchland's laws to help.
Meanwhile, Huxley's sidekick Bug and the Pesties trap Elmo in a tunnel using a trap door. However, he gets out with the help of fireflies. Then, he meets the Queen of Trash (Vanessa L. Williams
). He leaves her dump by giving the queen 100 raspberries in 30 seconds. Elmo succeeds and continues walking to Huxley's house. He is then attacked by a humongous chicken named "Tiny", but gets away. Soon night comes and he stops at a rock to rest, discouraged.
Eventually, Grizzy learns of the Sesame Street friends being arrested for asking for help in Grouchland; she tells them of Elmo's location in Huxley's house. Oscar is outraged by this and is determined to help set things right as well as admitting that Elmo is a friend. Oscar convinces the Grouch Policeman and all the Grouches of Grouchland that, even though Grouches hate cooperation, just for once, they have to take a stand against Huxley from stealing any more of their stuff, and taking light to this problem, the Grouch Policeman release the Sesame Street residents and aid them to go to Huxley's house to fight for their trash.
A caterpillar
wakes up Elmo during his nap on the rock. He tells Elmo to look inside his body and he'll see that he'll be brave. He then makes it to Huxley's before he could make Elmo's blanket his blanket. However, Huxley prevents Elmo from escaping by grabbing him with a claw and deciding to label them "MINE." Just as Elmo is about to face the fate of never seeing his friends again, the Sesame Street and the Grouchland citizens come to his rescue. Bug takes Elmo's blanket from Huxley and turns against him as Elmo catapults a basket over his shoulders. Bug then gives Elmo his blanket back and Huxley is arrested after trying to change his mind about his selfishness. Elmo is hailed a hero by the Sesame Street and Grouchland citizens. Elmo, happy to get his blanket back, goes with his friends back to his own world and reconciles with Zoe before letting her hold the blanket.
; the consensus states "This fun and moral tale entertains both first-time Seasame Street watchers and seasoned veterans." On Metacritic
, which uses an average of critics' reviews, the film holds a 59/100, indicating "mixed or average reviews".
and illustrated by Tom Brannon.
Sesame Street
Sesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
. Produced by Jim Henson Pictures
Jim Henson Pictures
Jim Henson Pictures is an American movie studio, owned by The Jim Henson Company and opened by Lisa and Brian Henson, the daughter of the late Jim Henson.-List of films produced by JHP:* Buddy...
in association with the Children's Television Workshop
Sesame Workshop
Sesame Workshop, formerly known as the Children's Television Workshop , is a Worldwide American non-profit organization behind the production of several educational children's programs that have run on public broadcasting around the world...
and released by Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
on October 1, 1999, the film co-stars Mandy Patinkin
Mandy Patinkin
Mandel Bruce "Mandy" Patinkin is an award-winning American actor of stage and screen and a tenor vocalist. He is a noted interpreter of the musical works of Stephen Sondheim, and is best-known for his work in musical theatre, originating iconic roles such as Georges Seurat in Sunday in the Park...
and Vanessa L. Williams
Vanessa L. Williams
Vanessa Lynn Williams is an American pop-R&B recording artist, producer, dancer, model, actress and showgirl. In 1983, she became the first woman of African-American descent to be crowned Miss America, but a scandal generated by her having posed for nude photographs published in Penthouse magazine...
. The film was shot in Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in and is the county seat of New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. The population is 106,476 according to the 2010 Census, making it the eighth most populous city in the state of North Carolina...
at Screen Gems
Screen Gems
Screen Gems is an American movie production company and subsidiary company of Sony Pictures Entertainment's Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group that has served several different purposes for its parent companies over the decades since its incorporation....
Studios.
Plot
The film opens with ErnieErnie
Ernie is a fictional character, a Muppet on the Public Broadcasting Service's long-running children's television show, Sesame Street. He and his roommate Bert form a comic duo that is one of the program's centerpieces, with Ernie acting the role of the naïve troublemaker and Bert the world-weary foil...
and Bert, who keep appearing throughout the movie, welcoming the audience and announcing The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland, a movie about Elmo
Elmo
Elmo is a Muppet character on the children's television show Sesame Street. He is a furry red monster and currently hosts the last full 15 minute segment on Sesame Street, Elmo's World, which is aimed at toddlers. His puppeteer, Kevin Clash, uses falsetto to produce his voice...
and his beloved blue blanket. However at a minute, 45 seconds, the countdown from 10 to 1 appears with the viewers counting backwards. After counting backwards from ten with the help of the audience, the movie's logo appears.
Elmo is playing with his blanket in his house. Suddenly, after he bumps his blanket on a juice cup and after drying off his blanket at the Laundromat, Elmo sees Zoe
Zoe (Sesame Street)
Zoe is a 3-year-old, orange female monster on Sesame Street, performed by Fran Brill. She was designed in her color to complement her best friend Elmo, who was gaining popularity at her introduction in 1993....
feeling sad because her father cannot take her to the zoo today, so he decides to make Zoe happy again by imitating certain zoo animals (a lion
Lion
The lion is one of the four big cats in the genus Panthera, and a member of the family Felidae. With some males exceeding 250 kg in weight, it is the second-largest living cat after the tiger...
, a monkey
Monkey
A monkey is a primate, either an Old World monkey or a New World monkey. There are about 260 known living species of monkey. Many are arboreal, although there are species that live primarily on the ground, such as baboons. Monkeys are generally considered to be intelligent. Unlike apes, monkeys...
, and a pig
Pig
A pig is any of the animals in the genus Sus, within the Suidae family of even-toed ungulates. Pigs include the domestic pig, its ancestor the wild boar, and several other wild relatives...
). When Zoe decides to play with his blanket, Elmo refuses to share, resulting in a tug-of-war that has Elmo's blanket ripped. Elmo and Zoe have a brief falling out; however Telly
Telly Monster
Telly Monster, known usually as just Telly, is an eternally worrying, fuchsia monster Muppet on Sesame Street. He is puppeteered by Martin P. Robinson....
takes away the blanket while rollerskating out of control. The blanket lands in the hands of Oscar the Grouch
Oscar the Grouch
Oscar the Grouch is a Muppet character on the television program Sesame Street. He has a green body , has no nose , and lives in a trash can. His favorite thing in life is trash; evidence for this is the song "I Love Trash". A running theme is his compulsive hoarding of seemingly useless items...
, who drops it in his trash can after sneezing on it. Elmo drops into the bottom of Oscar's trash can, where he finds the blanket nailed to a door. But they are both teleported to Grouchland, where a greedy man named Huxley (Mandy Patinkin
Mandy Patinkin
Mandel Bruce "Mandy" Patinkin is an award-winning American actor of stage and screen and a tenor vocalist. He is a noted interpreter of the musical works of Stephen Sondheim, and is best-known for his work in musical theatre, originating iconic roles such as Georges Seurat in Sunday in the Park...
) steals anything he can grab – including Elmo's blanket. Elmo is determined to rejoin his blanket and begins a journey through Grouchland. He asks a kind girl named Grizzy to help in his quest, but she abandons him when she discovers that Huxley's house is on the top of the faraway Mount Pickanose.
Meanwhile, the Sesame Street residents notice Elmo's absence and go to Grouchland to find him, with help from Oscar. When Big Bird
Big Bird
Big Bird is a protagonist of the children's television show Sesame Street. Big Bird, like many of the other Sesame Street characters, is a Muppet character. He is sometimes referred to simply as "Bird" by his friends....
suggests to seek assistance from a policeman, he arrests the entire group, informing them that it is against Grouchland's laws to help.
Meanwhile, Huxley's sidekick Bug and the Pesties trap Elmo in a tunnel using a trap door. However, he gets out with the help of fireflies. Then, he meets the Queen of Trash (Vanessa L. Williams
Vanessa L. Williams
Vanessa Lynn Williams is an American pop-R&B recording artist, producer, dancer, model, actress and showgirl. In 1983, she became the first woman of African-American descent to be crowned Miss America, but a scandal generated by her having posed for nude photographs published in Penthouse magazine...
). He leaves her dump by giving the queen 100 raspberries in 30 seconds. Elmo succeeds and continues walking to Huxley's house. He is then attacked by a humongous chicken named "Tiny", but gets away. Soon night comes and he stops at a rock to rest, discouraged.
Eventually, Grizzy learns of the Sesame Street friends being arrested for asking for help in Grouchland; she tells them of Elmo's location in Huxley's house. Oscar is outraged by this and is determined to help set things right as well as admitting that Elmo is a friend. Oscar convinces the Grouch Policeman and all the Grouches of Grouchland that, even though Grouches hate cooperation, just for once, they have to take a stand against Huxley from stealing any more of their stuff, and taking light to this problem, the Grouch Policeman release the Sesame Street residents and aid them to go to Huxley's house to fight for their trash.
A caterpillar
Caterpillar
Caterpillars are the larval form of members of the order Lepidoptera . They are mostly herbivorous in food habit, although some species are insectivorous. Caterpillars are voracious feeders and many of them are considered to be pests in agriculture...
wakes up Elmo during his nap on the rock. He tells Elmo to look inside his body and he'll see that he'll be brave. He then makes it to Huxley's before he could make Elmo's blanket his blanket. However, Huxley prevents Elmo from escaping by grabbing him with a claw and deciding to label them "MINE." Just as Elmo is about to face the fate of never seeing his friends again, the Sesame Street and the Grouchland citizens come to his rescue. Bug takes Elmo's blanket from Huxley and turns against him as Elmo catapults a basket over his shoulders. Bug then gives Elmo his blanket back and Huxley is arrested after trying to change his mind about his selfishness. Elmo is hailed a hero by the Sesame Street and Grouchland citizens. Elmo, happy to get his blanket back, goes with his friends back to his own world and reconciles with Zoe before letting her hold the blanket.
Cast
- Mandy PatinkinMandy PatinkinMandel Bruce "Mandy" Patinkin is an award-winning American actor of stage and screen and a tenor vocalist. He is a noted interpreter of the musical works of Stephen Sondheim, and is best-known for his work in musical theatre, originating iconic roles such as Georges Seurat in Sunday in the Park...
as Huxley, a man whose hobby is going into Grouchland and stealing from the town. In the end, he tries to talk to Bug about his mistakes, but is arrested. - Vanessa L. WilliamsVanessa L. WilliamsVanessa Lynn Williams is an American pop-R&B recording artist, producer, dancer, model, actress and showgirl. In 1983, she became the first woman of African-American descent to be crowned Miss America, but a scandal generated by her having posed for nude photographs published in Penthouse magazine...
as Queen of TrashWasteWaste is unwanted or useless materials. In biology, waste is any of the many unwanted substances or toxins that are expelled from living organisms, metabolic waste; such as urea, sweat or feces. Litter is waste which has been disposed of improperly...
; she at first has a cocky attitude and thinks Elmo is unworthy, but later discovers Elmo is worthy, with help.
Sesame Street actors
- Ruth BuzziRuth BuzziRuth Ann Buzzi is an American comedienne and actress of theatre, film, and television. She is especially known for her performances on the comedy-variety show Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In from 1968 to 1973.-Early life:...
as Ruthie - Alison Bartlett O'Reilly as Gina
- Emilio DelgadoEmilio DelgadoEmilio Delgado is an American actor. He is best known for his long-running role as Luis, the friendly Fix-it Shop owner, on the children's television series Sesame Street. Delgado joined the cast of Sesame Street in 1971 and recently completed Season 41 with the show. He began his professional...
as Luis - Bob McGrathBob McGrathRobert Emmet "Bob" McGrath is an American singer and actor best known for playing the human character Bob on Sesame Street. He was born in Ottawa, Illinois. McGrath was named for Irish patriot Robert Emmet....
as Bob - Loretta LongLoretta LongLoretta Long is an American actress best known for playing Susan Robinson on Sesame Street, having starred on the show since its debut in 1969....
as Susan - Sonia ManzanoSonia ManzanoSonia Manzano is an American actress and writer. She is best known for playing Maria on Sesame Street since 1971. She also licenses her image to promote items of baby clothes and plates in Hispanic America....
as Maria - Roscoe OrmanRoscoe OrmanRoscoe Hunter Orman is an American actor who plays Gordon Robinson on the television program Sesame Street. Orman joined the show in 1973, taking over as the third actor to play Gordon on the show...
as Gordon
Muppet actors
- Fran BrillFran BrillFrances Joan "Fran" Brill , is an American actress and puppeteer, best known for her roles on Sesame Street.Brill was born in Chester, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Linette and Joseph M. Brill. Her father was a physician...
as ZoeZoe (Sesame Street)Zoe is a 3-year-old, orange female monster on Sesame Street, performed by Fran Brill. She was designed in her color to complement her best friend Elmo, who was gaining popularity at her introduction in 1993....
and Prairie DawnPrairie DawnPrairie Dawn is a fictional character, a rather mature seven-year-old Muppet girl on the children's television program Sesame Street. She is similar in appearance to a character from the Anything Muppets. She is famous for writing school pageants for her friends, mostly Ernie and Bert, Herry,... - Kevin ClashKevin ClashKevin Jeffrey Clash is an American puppeteer and voice actor whose characters include Elmo, Baby Sinclair, Clifford, Splinter and Hoots the Owl...
as Elmo Grouch Cab Driver - Stephanie D'AbruzzoStephanie D'AbruzzoStephanie D'Abruzzo is an American actress and puppeteer.-Early life:D'Abruzzo grew up in McMurray, Pennsylvania, a Pittsburgh suburb she has described as a "plastic bubble kind of town." She graduated from Peters Township High School, where she was active in the theater program, and attended the...
as Grizzy - Jerry NelsonJerry NelsonJerry Nelson is an American Muppet puppeteer, known for his wide range of characters, singing abilities, and his frequent partnership with Richard Hunt.-Early years:...
as Count von CountCount von CountCount von Count, often known simply as "The Count", is one of the Muppet characters on Sesame Street, performed by Jerry Nelson. The Count is a vampire modeled after Bela Lugosi's interpretation of Count Dracula.-Description:...
, Grouch Mayor and the voice of Mr. Johnson - Carmen OsbahrCarmen OsbahrCarmen Osbahr is an American actress who has puppeteered Rosita in the popular US children's series Sesame Street, since 1991. Osbahr has also puppeteered Kiki Flores in The Puzzle Place...
as RositaRosita (Sesame Street character)Rosita is a bright blue-green Hispanic monster Muppet character on the children's television series Sesame Street. Fluent in both English and Spanish, she is the first regular bilingual Muppet on the show...
and Tina - Frank OzFrank OzFrank Oz is a British-born American film director, actor, voice actor and puppeteer who is known for creating and performing the characters Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear in The Muppet Show, Cookie Monster, Bert and Grover in Sesame Street, and for directing films, including the 1986 Little Shop of...
as Bert, GroverGroverGrover is a Muppet character on the popular television show Sesame Street. Self-described as lovable, cute and furry, he is a monster who almost never uses contractions when speaking or singing....
and Cookie MonsterCookie MonsterCookie Monster is a Muppet on the children's television show Sesame Street. He is best known for his voracious appetite and his famous eating phrases: "Me want cookie!", "Me eat cookie!", and "Om nom nom nom" . He often eats anything and everything, including danishes, donuts, lettuce, apples,... - Martin P. RobinsonMartin P. RobinsonMartin P. Robinson is a puppeteer for the Jim Henson Company. He originally built, designed, and performed the puppets for Little Shop of Horrors. He is perhaps best known for his work on Sesame Street. He has performed the characters of Telly Monster, Slimey the Worm, Mr. Snuffleupagus, and Tony...
as Telly MonsterTelly MonsterTelly Monster, known usually as just Telly, is an eternally worrying, fuchsia monster Muppet on Sesame Street. He is puppeteered by Martin P. Robinson.... - David RudmanDavid RudmanDavid Rudman is a puppeteer, voice actor and producer, best known as a performer of many of Sesame Street's Muppets. He originated the role of Baby Bear, and has been nominated for two Emmy Awards for his work replacing Frank Oz in the role of Cookie Monster...
as Baby Bear and Mr. Johnson - Caroll SpinneyCaroll SpinneyCaroll Edwin Spinney, sometimes credited as Carroll Spinney or Ed Spinney , is an American puppeteer most famous for playing Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch on the children's television show Sesame Street.-Life and career:...
as Big BirdBig BirdBig Bird is a protagonist of the children's television show Sesame Street. Big Bird, like many of the other Sesame Street characters, is a Muppet character. He is sometimes referred to simply as "Bird" by his friends....
and Oscar the GrouchOscar the GrouchOscar the Grouch is a Muppet character on the television program Sesame Street. He has a green body , has no nose , and lives in a trash can. His favorite thing in life is trash; evidence for this is the song "I Love Trash". A running theme is his compulsive hoarding of seemingly useless items... - Steve WhitmireSteve WhitmireSteven Whitmire is an American puppeteer who works for The Jim Henson Company, Sesame Workshop and Disney's The Muppets Studio. He has been the performer of two signature Muppets - Kermit the Frog and Sesame Street's Ernie - since the death of their creator and original performer, Jim Henson, in...
as ErnieErnieErnie is a fictional character, a Muppet on the Public Broadcasting Service's long-running children's television show, Sesame Street. He and his roommate Bert form a comic duo that is one of the program's centerpieces, with Ernie acting the role of the naïve troublemaker and Bert the world-weary foil...
Reception
The film received positive reviews, with a 77% 'fresh' rating on Rotten TomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
; the consensus states "This fun and moral tale entertains both first-time Seasame Street watchers and seasoned veterans." On Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which uses an average of critics' reviews, the film holds a 59/100, indicating "mixed or average reviews".
Box office
The film performed poorly theatrically, despite the popularity of Sesame Street and the Elmo character. Despite being the only family film playing in most theaters at the time of its release, Sony had planned a very scaled-back release, opening in a only a slightly-wide release making it difficult to make its money back. The film opened at #8, with a weekend gross of $3,255,033 from 1,210 theaters, averaging $2,690 per venue. In total, The Adventures of Elmo in Grouchland earned back less than half its $26 million budget, grossing $11,634,458 during its two-month theatrical run.Book series
The film inspired a trilogy of children's books, published in 1999: Happy Grouchy Day, The Grouchiest Lovey and Unwelcome to Grouchland. The book series was written by Suzanne WeynSuzanne Weyn
Suzanne Weyn is an American author. She primarily writes children's and young adult science fiction and fantasy novels. she has written over fifty novels and short stories, and is best known for The Bar Code Tattoo and The Bar Code Rebellion books...
and illustrated by Tom Brannon.